Chapter 9

　　"You know I’m a physician at the Elderic family’s townhouse, right? It’s a position that comes with a great deal of trust."

　　"Yes."

　　Elderic. The name alone was enough to conjure an image of him—the lofty nobleman with whom she would never have any connection. And yet, Johanna often thought of him, especially on sleepless nights.

　　"Marquis Neuwitz has been looking for a Dominant Omega lately," Victoria continued in a low voice. "Not as a wife… but as someone to bear his heir."

　　"Bear his heir?"

　　"It’s… complicated."

　　Victoria wet her dry lips again, her voice dropping to a whisper as she explained. Marquis Neuwitz, also known as the Young Duke of Elderic, Leonid Neuwitz Rinke Elderic, was the sole heir to the ancient ducal family. Born a rare Extreme Dominant Alpha, he had carried the family’s expectations since childhood, inheriting the title of Marquis and a portion of the family fortune from his grandfather at the tender age of fourteen.

　　However, the most important assets—the Elderic ducal title and the vast lands that came with it—remained out of his grasp, years after he’d come of age. The reason was a bitter conflict with his grandfather, the current Duke of Elderic.

　　"He despises Omegas, so he refuses to date or marry. And as you know, it’s difficult for an Extreme Dominant Alpha to produce an heir. The Duke is desperate for him to find a partner and continue the family line… but the Marquis wants nothing to do with it."

　　"Can you believe it? He’s remained celibate since his first rut, getting by on suppressants. I mean, does that make any sense? An Extreme Dominant Alpha who could have Omegas lining up for him."

　　It was truly unbelievable, and Johanna found herself nodding. She never would have imagined he didn’t have a single Omega by his side. As a powerful nobleman, she had just assumed…

　　"You know he’s famous for being a mysophobe, right?" Victoria went on. "I’ve seen it myself. It’s no joke. His hatred for Omegas is probably part of it. He can’t stand physical contact with anyone. Not even his own family."

　　Johanna remembered the one time, long ago, when he had saved her. If her memory was correct, they had touched. Had he looked at her with disgust then? No, strangely enough, he’d been surprisingly gentle, treating her like a lost child. Or was that just a memory she’d polished until it shone?

　　"Anyway, the family elders have been hounding him so much that the Marquis has finally had enough. He’s secretly looking for a Dominant Omega to hire on a contract basis—just to bear an heir."

　　Dominant Omegas were exceedingly rare, and it wasn’t unheard of for noble families to seek one out as a surrogate. Many were desperate to preserve their dominant traits. For the Elderic family, which had been led by Dominant Alphas for generations, an obsession with bloodline was practically a given.

　　"The Duke doesn’t know about this. Only the Marquis’s closest aides, a few physicians, and his parents are aware. Oh, and his sisters."

　　"…But why are you telling me this? You said it was a secret."

　　"Why do you think, Johanna? You just told me you manifested as a Dominant Omega."

　　Victoria grabbed her hand. Luther, who had been sitting quietly, placed a heavy paw on top of their joined hands. Victoria shot the dog an exasperated look and shook it off before meeting Johanna’s eyes again, her expression deadly serious.

　　"I’ll recommend you. I’ll tell him you’re a Dominant Omega who is highly compatible with him."

　　"What…?"

　　Johanna was so stunned she couldn’t speak, her lips merely parting in shock.

　　Victoria pressed on, her words tumbling out in a rush.

　　"If you make a contract with the Marquis, you’ll earn more than enough to pay off your debt. Having to bear his child… I know it’s a lot. It’s not something to be taken lightly…"

　　"But… uh… I’ve seen what happens to people who get taken by loan sharks. Betas, Omegas, Alphas—it doesn’t matter. Their lives are ruined. That man mentioned you working in a club, right? Those bastards will drag you away the second you can’t pay."

　　"So, what I’m saying is…" Victoria sighed again, gripping Johanna’s hand tighter. Sincere worry shone in her eyes. "If you’re facing the worst possible outcome… isn’t it better to choose the lesser of two evils? The decision is yours, but… that’s what I think."

　　Johanna sat in silence for a long time, staring at the ground. A contract to bear an heir… It was something she had never, ever imagined.

　　And to think, her potential partner would be none other than Marquis Neuwitz…

　　Luther whimpered, resting his chin on Johanna’s knee. Her grave expression must have worried him. With a sigh that was half a laugh, she stroked his head.

　　"…I’ll think about it."

　　It was the most she could offer, unable to give a definitive answer just yet. She made sure to thank Victoria for listening and for her offer of help.

　　After their walk through the park, Johanna and Victoria parted ways in front of her apartment building. Victoria had insisted on seeing her home, reminding her that she had to be careful now that she had presented as an Omega.

　　Johanna’s family lived on the top floor of a dilapidated building, a cheap place with a deposit of five hundred Rubels and a monthly rent of only one hundred. Consequently, something was always broken, and insects were frequent, unwelcome guests. But to Johanna, no place was more comfortable. Small and worn as it was, it was her only sanctuary.

　　As she unlocked the door, a rustling sound from inside made her start. For a fleeting moment, she thought it was her father. But the person who emerged from the small room was Daniel.

　　"Johanna!" he cried out.

　　"Daniel, are your exams over?"

　　"Yeah. I finished early."

　　"You did," she agreed. "Did they go well?"

　　"They were all right."

　　He ran to her, throwing his arms around her waist. Johanna hugged him back tightly, but a moment later, she realized her mistake. As an Alpha, Daniel would sense her Omega pheromones.

　　"Wait a second…"

　　"What is it?" Daniel asked, looking up in confusion. His sister, who always held him until he was content, was pushing him away. It was then that he noticed a pleasant fragrance clinging to her—the same scent as the scarlet flowers he had once seen in the school garden.

　　"Are you wearing perfume?"

　　"No, it’s not perfume…"

　　Immediate family members could detect each other’s pheromones, but they were never attracted to them—a law of nature, it was said, to instinctively prevent the complications of inbreeding.

　　"…They’re pheromones."

　　"…Huh?"

　　It took a beat for her answer to register. Then, Daniel’s jaw dropped. He stood frozen for a long moment before grabbing her arm, his voice a stammer.

　　"Ph-pheromones? This scent? For real? Did you present? As what?"

　　Without the pull of sexual attraction, family members could not discern whether one was an Alpha or an Omega. Johanna patted his shoulder reassuringly.

　　"An Omega," she said, her voice steady. "A Dominant one."

　　Daniel stared at her, his mind blank.

　　His mouth fell open. He stumbled back a step, then sank to the wooden floor as if his legs had given out. He bRinked, stunned, then buried his face in his hands before looking up at her, his voice thick with tears.

　　"Johanna…"

　　"It’s okay, Daniel."

　　"What’s okay?" he shot back, his voice cracking. "That… that loan shark jerk… he was a Dominant Alpha! The way that piece of trash looked at you wasn’t normal!"

　　Faced with her brother’s frantic outburst of fear and anxiety, Johanna grew desperate. She blurted out the first thing that came to mind to calm him.

　　"Don’t worry. Victoria said she’d help."

　　"What? How can she help?"

　　"I’ll… I’ll tell you later. But you really don’t have to worry. I’m not going to be dragged away by him. I promise."

　　Daniel looked up at her, his eyes still clouded with suspicion as she pulled him into an embrace, patting his back. Johanna prayed he would never discover the true extent of the trouble she was in.

　　She forced a smile and wove a lie. "Victoria works as a physician for the Elderic family, right? She said there might be a job for me there. If I can get a year’s salary as an advance, I can probably… pay off the debt."

　　"A job? What kind of job?"

　　"I’m not sure yet. But they’re an incredibly wealthy noble family. Advancing a salary would be nothing to them."

　　"Still… I’m worried," he murmured. "I have a bad feeling about this. Are you sure nothing’s wrong? And now that you’ve presented… are you okay? Did you get suppressants?"

　　Watching him pour out his concerns, Johanna’s smile turned sorrowful. The last thing she had wanted was to make him worry.

　　"Really, nothing’s wrong. I feel fine, and since I’m a Dominant, controlling my pheromones isn’t too difficult. And of course, I got suppressants."

　　Daniel stared at her in silence for a long moment, then lowered his head and mumbled, "I’m sorry, Johanna…"

　　"What are you talking about? Why are you sorry?"

　　"Because I’m too young to be any help… Should I quit school? We wouldn’t have to pay tuition, and I could deliver newspapers or something—"

　　"Daniel!"

　　Johanna gripped his shoulders, stopping his frantic rambling. Her teal eyes, suddenly wide, blazed with a fierce light.